Research interests
I am interested in plant diversity, evolution, and biogeography with a focus on the Caribbean islands. My current project looks at the colonization of the islands by the genus Pitcairnia (Bromeliaceae). I will use molecular data, niche modelling, and morphology to address my research questions.
The Caribbean
The Caribbean refers to a group of territories in the Tropic of Cancer in North America that sorrounds the Caribbean sea. Over 700 islands + continental land are part of this ethnically, culturally, and biologically diverse area. It is considered a Biodiversity Hotspot because of the high number of endemic and endangered species (1). 13% of genera and 72% of species present in the islands are found nowhere else on the planet; Cuba (5 and 53%), Hispaniola (3 and 44%), and Jamaica (1 and 34%) have the highest endemism by island (2).
Bromeliaceae Juss.
Bromeliaceae are a Neotropical plant family known for its impressive adaptive radiation. Only one species, Pitcairnia feliciana, is known from Africa. They are present from deserts to cloud forest, from sea level to 5000 m high. They grow as epiphytes and terrestrials, perform C3 or CAM photosynthesis, and can vary in sizes from 0.5 to 10 m tall. Tank bromeliads are even ecosystems on their own; many insects and even small vertebrates call the water deposits that form between the leaves home. Some are known carnivores, some are edible, and many are beautiful ornamentals.
1. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/caribbean-islands
2. Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong. 2012. botany.si.edu/antilles/westindies/catalog.htm
2. Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong. 2012. botany.si.edu/antilles/westindies/catalog.htm